Drop door for railway cars



June 14, 1932. G. e. GILPIN DROP DOOR FOR RAILWAY CARS Patented June 14, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GARTH G. GIL'PIN, OF RIVERSIDE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO UNION METAL PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE DROP DOOR FOR RAILWAY CARS Original application filed April 26, 1929, Serial No. 358,305. Patent No. 1,818,536, dated July 7, 1931.

Divided and this application filed January 19, 1931.

My invention relates to the construction of railway cars of the dumping or drop bottom type such as hopper cars, hopper gondola cars, drop bottom general service gondola ll cars or the like, having a door forming a part of the car for retaining the load therein, which door is provided with hinges adjacent one of its edges and is capable of being dropped or swung open to discharge the 19 load. Any means of raising the door to the closed position and any means for locking and releasing the door may be employed with my device. Such a door is commonly called a hopper door. My doors may also be used 15. as drop end gates or doors for mill type gondola cars.

The object of the invention is to provide a door for a railway car with substantially circular ribs or reinforcements (preferably concentric) forming a drum head whereby a load upon the door normal to its load sustaining surface draws the metal toward the center of the circular ribs which is resisted by the arcuate constructions of the ribs and cause these circular ribs to cooperate with each other by connecting them with preferably radial ribs.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a door incorporating my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is another side elevation of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section on line t-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 shows a modified construction.

My improved door comprises a body portion provided with a plurality of circular or substantially circular ribs 21 and forming a drum head wherein any vertical load imposed upon the door within the circular rib 5 tends to draw the ribs inwardly; or in other words, to flatten the circles, which tendency is resisted by the arcuate constructions of the ribs, as the force is resisted by parts of the circular ribs which could be described as arches. The circular rib, therefore, forms a very strong construction to resist vertical loads imposed upon the car. The webs 32 connect the inner (30) ribs and outer (21) ribs to secure cooperation therebetween. These webs 32 may extend beyond (23) the outer rib 21 and preferably merge into the Serial No. 509,715.

body of the door adjacent the corners of the door.

I preferably provide radial ribs or brackets springing from the circular ribs and. merging into the body of the door. These 65 brackets may project within the circles (22-33) or may project outside of the circular ribs (2334=). Either or both may be used, as either or both would further, strengthen the circular ribs against defiection under stresses.

It is desirable that some of these brackets extend toward the hinge element 24 and support element 25, respectively, so that the brackets in combination with a part of the circular rib constitute a beam between the hinge element and the support element.

By the term circular I mean anything substantially so; for instance, the hexagonal, construction shown in Fig. 5 or any construction similar thereto which would provide the desired drum head effect.

I have shown and described the circular rib and several means of reinforcing the circular rib to better enable it to perform its function. However, any one or all of the several means may be used and still come within the scope of this invention.

The accompanying drawing illustrates the preferred form of the invention, though it 30 is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof, within the scope, of the claims, will occur to persons skilled in the art.

This is a division of my co-pending application Serial No. 358,305, filed April 26, 1929, which matured into Patent No. 1,813,536 on July 7, 1931.

I claim:

1. A hinged door for a railway car comprising a body, an outer substantially circular rib, an inner substantially circular rib positioned within said outer rib and concentric therewith, and webs connecting said ribs.

2. A. hinged door for a railway car comprising a body, an outer substantially circular rib, an inner substantially circular rib positioned within said outer rib, and webs connecting said ribs and extending therebeyond and merging into said body.

3. A hinged door for a railway car comprising a body, an outer substantially circular rib, an 1nner substantially circular rib positioned within said outer rib and concentric therewith, and radial webs connecting I said ribs.

4. A hinged door for a railway car oomv prising a body, an outer substantially circular rib, an inner substantially circular rib positioned within said. outer rib, and webs connecting said ribs.

5. A hinged door for a railway car comprising ,a body, an outer substantially cir-- V cular rib, an inner substantially circular rib positioned within said outer rib, and radial webs connecting said ribs and extending therebeyond and merging into said body adjacent the corners of the door.. I

6.- A hinged door for a railway car 001 prisinga body, an outer substantially circular' rib, a shallower inner substantially circular rib positioned within said outer rib, and webs connecting said ribs.

7. A hinged door for a railway car comprising a body, hinge elements adjacent one 7 side of the body, an outer substantially circular rib, an inner substantially circular rib positioned within said outer rib, webs connecting said ribs, andbrackets extending from said outer rib to said hinge elements.

8. A hinged door for a railway car comprising a body, support elements adjacent the other side of the body, an outer substantially circular rib, an inner substantially circular rib positioned within said outer rib, webs connecting said ribs, and brackets extending from said outer rib to said support elements.

9. A hinged door for a railway car comprising a body, hinge elements adjacent one side of the body, support elements adjacent the other side of the body, an outer substantially circular rib, an inner substantially circular rib positioned within said outer rib, Webs connecting said ribs, brackets extending from said outer rib to said hinge elements, and other brackets extending from said outer rib to said support elements.v

GARTH G. GILPIN. 

